Hobbit’ a lighter visit to middle-earth

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” PG-13 — A decade later, director Peter Jackson and his team happily revisit Middle-earth, adapting J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1937 novel, which told of events preceding “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, and was written with children in mind. (They’re doing it in three films, also.) Though some kids 10 and older will get right into the film and enjoy it with no nightmares likely, the PG-13 rating remains appropriate, as it was in Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” films.

Long and complex, yet always engaging, the new film spins a ripping, fantastical yarn of bravery and camaraderie versus darkness and evil. The atmosphere may be lighter and funnier than in the earlier films, but the mayhem gets heavy, with creatures such as Goblins, Orcs and Trolls losing heads and arms in battle, and the more human-like Hobbits and Dwarves facing life-threatening danger.

Jackson’s new high-speed 3-D film technique looks almost like videotape at times, and thus more realistic and potentially scary for younger kids.

In a prologue, we learn of the Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor and how it was destroyed by a dragon. Then we cut to the benign world of the Hobbits and meet old Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm).

Writing his memoirs, he recalls an adventure from his early years. We flash back to him as a young Hobbit (now played by Martin Freeman). Gandalf (Ian McKellen) the wizard along with a boisterous contingent of Dwarves visit Bilbo. The Dwarves’ leader Thorin (Richard Armitage) wants to take back Erebor, and Gandalf thinks the diminutive Bilbo will make a great addition to the team. Bilbo declines at first, but then decides he needs an adventure. He doesn’t realize how often he’ll risk his life. Nor does he expect to meet Elf royalty, or a creature as odd as Gollum (Andy Serkis), who has been driven mad by a gold ring with magical properties, his “precious.”

THE BOTTOM LINE: Battle scenes in which the Dwarves, Gandalf and Bilbo Baggins fight the giant, vicious Orcs, gross Trolls and cave-dwelling Goblins involve beheadings, lopping off of arms, and runnings-through with swords. Little if any blood flows, but the mayhem is definitely PG-13-worthy. Gross humor about smelly behinds and loogies seems worse in 3-D! Characters smoke pipes, drink, and refer to a woodland wizard who “eats too many mushrooms.” Serkis’ Gollum, computer-enhanced, bug-eyed and insane, continues to be a scary screen creation.

“Hitchcock” PG-13 — It’s hard to imagine this rich, humorous (partly fictionalized) portrayal of film director Alfred Hitchcock capturing the imaginations of many teens. Most will find the movie too oldy-worldy.

But it will delight true teen cinema buffs just getting into film history. Having just finished “North by Northwest” (1959), the portly director, played by Anthony Hopkins as if he’s channeling the man, longs to venture beyond his stylish thrillers.

He becomes obsessed with the novel “Psycho” by Robert Bloch, based on real-life serial killer Ed Gein. Hitchcock puts up his own money, casts Janet Leigh (Scarlett Johansson), Anthony Perkins (James D’Arcy) and Vera Miles (Jessica Biel) and starts filming. His wife, Alma Reville (Helen Mirren), puts up with his habits, his tempers and his attempted flirtations with actresses. Alma, we learn, was his most essential creative partner, all to little acclaim. Scenes about the filming of “Psycho” (1960) are fun, but so are the imagined moments in the Hitchcock home.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Many characters drink and smoke. There’s a discussion using the word “queer” referring to an actor who is a closeted homosexual. Hitchcock imagines seeing real-life serial killer Ed Gein murder someone (not too graphic), and later imagines him dragging a woman’s bloodied body (clothed) into a bathtub. Hitchcock briefly spies through a peephole on actresses in a dressing room. There is much sexual innuendo, but nothing explicit.

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